Need help from parents and Star Wars fans

[Ryougabot]

I am on the horns of a dilemma. Do I show my child Star Wars?

Now I am not talking Phantom Menace, but the original Star Wars.

I have wanted to introduce him to the Star Wars movies for a while, but I have always had reservations.

Pros
It is a classic tale of the smalltown boy going on an epic quest.
There is clear distinction between good and evil...actions.
C3PO and R2 are funny
Han is funny
Chewie is funny
Explosions...cool
You actually know who the story is about and care (I'm looking at you TPM)
It is darn entertaining

Cons
Death...or more to the point killing. He understands mortality (Charlotte's Web), but has never seen someone kill someone else. The opening scene of SW has one of the highest body counts of most movies.
Darth Vader was scary to me as a child...

There are many more pros than cons, I am still worried about the cons. My son is 4.5 and very intelligent. He is a little behind emotionally though.

I will put it out there, do you remember when you saw SW first and what did it do to you?

Also, and probably more importantly, parents, shat age did you show you kids SW and how did the react based on age?

I will start, I had to have been 4 or 5, I thought it was very cool, and it gave me my first understanding of evil. It is not what you say or think, but evil is demonstrated by actions. I was sure I could use the force. All was good until I thought I saw Darth Vader outside of the bathroom window. For three years after that I would not go into that room after dark unless someone turned on a light...I mean we all know that Darth Vader won't get you if the light is on.

I just don't know, what do you guys think? Do I take him on his first step into a larger world, or do I keep him on Tatoine and let the empire come to him?

[TurtleKing99]

It would help if we knew his age...

[Ryougabot]

Originally Posted by TurtleKing99

It would help if we knew his age...

Originally Posted by Ryougabot

My son is 4.5

I mentioned that

[TurtleKing99]

Originally Posted by Ryougabot

I mentioned that

*facepalm* at myself. I would probably wait a year if I were you. But I didn't stop having nightmares till I was 11 or 12 year old.

[GeneralGrievous13]

I am not a parent, but, as my name hints at, I am a Star Wars fan.

I would personally recommend showing your child Star Wars episodes 4-6.

One of my favorite childhood memories was when I watched the original Star Wars trilogy with my dad. I was only about 4-5 at the time.

With regards to the Cons that you mentioned:

I found Darth Vader more awesome than scary. Also, I never really reflected on how many generic stormtrooper died in the trilogy until I was much older. (Just think "How many stormtroopers and Imperial personnel died when the first Death Star blew up?" )

The only thing that I remember being bothered by was when Han got frozen and Luke got his hand cut off, but that was more of just shock that the hero didn't always win. However, this is, in my opinion, one of the many important lessons that Star Wars can teach children.

Finally, just like you, I was also sure that I could use the Force after watching these movies. I think that it is important to show these great movies to kids when they are still young enough to think that, when cars stop as they are crossing the street with their parents in a cross-walk, those cars were stopped by their own mighty Force powers! (Not that I would know anything about that...)

[Flame Gryphon]

I think you should. It is a right of passage! It. Must. Happen!

Okay, I'm back. Honestly, I think you should. I was...5? 6-ish? When I first saw Darth Maul be cut in half...I'm thinking that the original ones are good at 4-5.

[Yodaking]

I raised my daughter on Starwars and she loves the movies. Don't recall what age she first saw them at but 5 seems fine to me. On the other hand, the LOTR/Hobbit cartoon movies gave her nightmares as a kid and as a result she was not interested in seeing the Peter Jackson films until just recently.

[ollie]

I was 4 and it was my favourite video for the next few years. Like GeneralGrevious13, the body count just didn't register with me at the time.

And I turned out OK. <twitch>

[Jim]

I was 10 when I first saw Star Wars (Ep. 4). It was in the theater, and it had just premiered. I was fine. My sister-in-law has a 4 year old, and that same movie (Don't get me started. I know it really isn't the same movie I saw.) is one of his favorites. He's fine. Just explain things if needed and ask if he has any questions or concerns.

[Rich10]

I would wait until age 8, but I'm a paranoid parent.

[yagyuninja]

I think I watched star wars with my son around the time he turned three. That seems insane now that I type it out.

We didn't show him any tv/movie/video games until after he was 2, but he spends half a day 5 times a week at grandparents houses, so who knows what they let him watch. Anyway, I think I just waited until he was already running around play fighting with swords and guns anyway. Sometimes I would ask him if something from the movies was real...he got that it wasn't.

It's extremely hard call to make, and it totally depends on your kid. My son doesn't seem warped by it, though I have yet to show him episode 3. He knows who vader is, but I've just yet to take the plunge and let him watch that one.

The only movie that has really freaked my son out (and was pretty stupid of me to let him watch) was Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind. Amazing movie. Lots of killing and scary monsters.

[nate the dawg]

My oldest was four or so the first time he watched. He wasn't scared of Vader at all; in fact, he got kinda bored! Later, when I watched the newer films with him, he became hooked. Ugh...he's 12 now and still loves JarJar!

Seriously though, I don't find there to be anything wrong with exposing him to a film that he'll likely view more as 'cool' than scary.